Green Arrow, a DC Comics superhero, has appeared in media other than comic books since 1973, including animated shows, live-action productions, and video games.
Television
Animated
Super Friends
The first television appearance of Green Arrow was a single guest spot in an episode of the original incarnation of Super Friends. He appeared in the 1973 episode "Gulliver's Gigantic Goof" and was voiced by Norman Alden. He was referred to as a "staunch member of the Justice League of America."
Justice League Unlimited
Green Arrow makes numerous appearances in the animated television series Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Kin Shriner. He was the first new hero introduced in the revamped series in the episode "Initiation." In this version, Green Arrow is reluctant to join the League to avoid distractions from his primary goal-protecting "the little guy." However, his strong leftist political convictions (showcased by his quote "I'm an old lefty" from the episode "Flashpoint") and his sometimes irreverent advocacy of them are key reasons the Justice League insists on recruiting him as a prominent voice of the team. This proves instrumental during the Project Cadmus incident where his counsel is critical in preventing the Justice League from an overreaction that could turn the team into an equivalent of the totalitarian Justice Lords. Furthermore, after Justice League are cleared of wrong-doing by the exposure of Lex Luthor's manipulations (Which were also subtly influenced by Brainiac hiding from within him.), Green Arrow is also responsible for dissuading the charter members of the League from disbanding the organization and instead inspired them to work on their relationship with the public and the authorities.
In this animated version, Green Arrow is still a billionaire, having sold his company to devote time to his volunteering and activism exclusively. He develops a romantic relationship with Black Canary over the course of the series. Speedy makes one appearance during the show in the episode "Patriot Act". While Green Arrow refers to Speedy as his "ex-sidekick," Speedy prefers the term "ex-partner." According to the TV Guide for the week of July 25â€"31, Shriner showed up at the recording studio dressed as Green Arrow.
The Batman
Green Arrow first appeared in the season five episode "Vertigo." This version of Green Arrow is motivated largely by a desire for revenge against Count Vertigo, a former employee who used technology stolen from Queen's company to strand him on a desert island. He is also prominent in the series finale, "Lost Heroes," revealing his frustrations at being ignored in favor of the super-powered members of the League. He was voiced by Chris Hardwick. The Green Arrow's appearance is reminiscent of his 1970s comic counterpart.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Green Arrow appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold often portrayed as Batman's friendly rival. His design once again resembles his Golden and Silver Age interpretations. James Arnold Taylor voices him. In the first episode, "The Rise of the Blue Beetle!," Green Arrow and Batman are trapped by Clock King, but they escape and defeat the villain. He and Batman are called upon by Merlin in "Day of the Dark Knight!," to stop Morgaine le Fey and Etrigan the Demon, restore Camelot (which was turned to stone by Morgaine), and bring King Arthur back to the throne. They succeed, with Green Arrow freeing Batman from Morgaine's mind control, and are nearly knighted before they begin arguing, resulting in Merlin sending them back to their own time.
He appears once again in "Dawn of the Deadman!," along with Speedy to help a spectral Batman by digging up Batman's coffin. He appears in the season finale "Game Over for Owlman!," hunting Batman who he claims captured him. Green Arrow has an Injustice Syndicate counterpart called Blue Bowman, also voiced by James Arnold Taylor. In the second season, he stops a robbery committed by Copperhead but is confronted by an imp similar to Bat-Mite. who claims to be his "biggest fan." He assists Batman in car chase against The Joker in the teaser for "Hail the Tornado Tyrant!," only to continue the chase on air when Catwoman robs a museum. In the follow-up to this teaser in "Inside the Outsiders!", they are captured by Catwoman's henchmen, but the duo escape while bickering. Arrow is disgusted by Batman's flirting with the villain and blames him for her escape.
In "Mayhem of The Music Meister!", Green Arrow tries to catch Black Canary's eye but fails due to her attraction to Batman. He is not heard singing through the episode, having one spoken solo during "Drives us Bats." At the episode's end, however, he manages to gain her attention through song. He participates in a super-powered road race in "Death Race to Oblivion!," and joins forces with Batman and Aquaman to battle Ra's al Ghul in "Sidekicks Assemble!" In "The Super-Batman of Planet X!," he teams up with Batman to stop some space pirates. While Batman protected his partner, the ray and shield's energy creates a wormhole and pulls him in, leaving Arrow to handle the pirates alone. In "Night of the Batmen!" he dresses up as Batman and not only fights Deadshot but fights Cavalier, Babyface, Killer Moth, Fun Haus, and Sportsmaster and single-handedly defeats them. Additionally, Green Arrow appears in a non-speaking cameo in the two-part episode "The Siege of Starro!", among the heroes possessed by Starro and later, as one of the heroes who has already broken free of Starro's mind control. Finally, in the episode "The Knights of Tomorrow!," which shows the future of the Wayne family as imagined by Alfred Pennyworth, Oliver appears as a guest in Bruce Wayne's marriage to Selina Kyle, with his design resembling his modern appearance. Later in the episode, an aged Oliver appears at the funeral of Bruce and his wife Selina, accompanied by his daughter, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Dinah Lance, and is presumably Olivia Queen from the Kingdom Come storyline.
DC Showcase: Green Arrow
DC Showcase: Green Arrow (an animated short directed by Joaquim Dos Santos) was included on the DVD for the direct-to-video animated film Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Actor Neal McDonough voices Green Arrow. In the short, Oliver Queen is picking up Dinah Lance at the Star City Airport with the intentions of proposing to her. He, however, is delayed when he sees Merlyn entering the airport, using a Justice League application on his phone to identify him through facial recognition. He later saves the princess of Vlatava from the League of Assassins and battles them and eventually Merlyn himself through the airport to protect the young girl. During the battle, the girl confirms that her father was killed the night before and that her uncle is Count Vertigo, which Green Arrow believes hired Merlyn so that he could be king. After the two archers engage in a duel, the first out of eight previous ones that Arrow won, Merlyn is defeated. Immediately afterward, Vertigo shows up and uses his power against Arrow and is nearly killed, when Black Canary shows up and uses her "Canary Cry" against Vertigo and defeats him. Arrow then proposes and Canary accepts and then short ends with the two sharing a passionate kiss.
Young Justice
Green Arrow appears as a member of the JLA in the animated series Young Justice. He is voiced by Alan Tudyk. In the pilot episode "Independence Day", Green Arrow and Speedy are shown battling Icicle Jr. en route to a meeting at the Hall of Justice, where an induction ceremony for the sidekicks of Batman, Aquaman, Flash and Green Arrow is set to take place. After learning that he will not be allowed to become an official member of the JLA (as he had mistakenly believed), Speedy angrily denounces Green Arrow and storms out of the building, thus missing out on Batman's formation of Young Justice (a covert ops team of young heroes). Green Arrow later reappears in "Infiltrator", where he has taken on a new sidekick in the form of Artemis, who claims to be his niece. In the end of the episode, Roy (now going by the name of Red Arrow) confronts Artemis and informs her that he knows that Green Arrow does not have a niece and that Green Arrow and Batman apparently have some ulterior motive for allowing her to join the team.
He has a fleeting mention in the episode "Homefront" where Red Tornado tells Aqualad that he agreed to cover monitor duty on the Watchtower for Green Arrow as he had "a hot date" with Black Canary. Green Arrow has small appearances in the next two episodes.
His next speaking role is in the episode "Agendas" where he nominates Red Arrow for JLA membership, and returns in the following episode, "Insecurity" where he is shown training Artemis and later informs to Red Arrow that he will be inducted into the JLA by year's end. When the villainous Light takes control of the Justice League, he, Flash and Aquaman hunt down Red Arrow and later on attempt to kill their respective apprentices while aboard the Watchtower. They are all knocked out when Aqualad opens a cargo hatch and Kid Flash applies vaccine chips to all three. His last appearance in season 1 shows him and Black Canary heading out with Red Arrow (who has just discovered that he is a clone of the original Speedy).
Green Arrow officially returns in the season 2 episode "Salvage" set five years later, where he, Nightwing, the retired Wally West, Jim Harper and Black Canary confront Red Arrow over his self-destructive obsession with finding the original (and presumably dead) Speedy. When Red Arrow finds Speedy and returns to the USA Oliver keeps a vigil by his bedside in the hospital. In the episode "Satisfaction", Green Arrow and Red Arrow inform Speedy about the recent event and while he feels no grudge against his clone for replacing him he shows anger against Green Arrow for having given up in finding him. Roy then seeks vengeance against Lex Luthor who is apparently the responsible for everything has happened to him. Green Arrow and Red Arrow arrive too late to avert the battle and are informed by a satisfied Roy that he wants to go by the name Arsenal from now on.
Mad
Green Arrow appears in Mad where he tries to appeal to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman about being called "Super Friends."
DC Nation Shorts
Green Arrow appears in one of the DC Nation Shorts on Cartoon Network voiced by Will Friedle.
Vixen
Green Arrow (voiced by Stephen Amell) appears in the animated web series Vixen, set in the shared universe called Arrowverse.
Justice League Action
Green Arrow appears in the animated series Justice League Action, voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos.
Live-action
Smallville
Green Arrow made his first appearance as a young Oliver Queen near the end of the episode "Sneeze" of the sixth season of the Superman series Smallville. Played by Justin Hartley, Lois Lane was his love interest during his appearances in season six. In Smallville, Oliver is more of an anti-hero, committing criminal acts in order to reach his goals (most notably blowing up Lex Luthor's medical transport) under the belief that the ends justify the means. Due to the Batman embargo that Warner Bros. laid down to protect Christopher Nolan's Batman movie franchise, Smallville version of Green Arrow seems to be a combination of Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne.
After a rough start, he becomes a trusted ally and friend of Clark Kent. Green Arrow retains his many unique arrows and demonstrates expert archery skill, along with the skilled use of a crossbow. In Smallville, Oliver was given a new modern costume that had equipment designed by his company. Green Arrow also makes extensive use of an adapted PSE (Precision Shooting Equipment) compound bow, shot using fingers, rather than an archery tab or release aid, although his gauntlets serve as both a shooting glove and an armguard.
He returned in season seven for the episode "Siren", in which he continues his fight against LuthorCorp and meets another superhero, Black Canary, whom he recruits for his Justice League. In a flashback sequence in the season seven episode "Veritas", a young version of Oliver Queen can be seen being played by Luke Gair.
He returned as a regular in season eight, where flashback sequences to his desert island origin story were shown and he discovered that it was Lionel Luthor who murdered his parents. Since learning this he abandoned his heroic persona and began drinking and partying heavily. It is only when helping Clark keep his identity secret in "Identity" that Oliver rethinks his role as Green Arrow. His battle with Lex Luthor, that began during their childhood but was first seen in season six, concluded in "Requiem".
During the episode, Oliver completes a "merger" between Queen Industries and Luthorcorp. Oliver walked into the meeting of the Board of Directors of LuthorCorp, as they were about to have a Vote of No-Confidence in Tess Mercer. Oliver established himself as the majority shareholder of LuthorCorp’s assets. While a Chairman was speaking, Oliver noticed Newton's cradle mysteriously swinging, which suddenly stopped. With that, he told them to get down, as a large explosion happened. Oliver informed Clark and Lana about this, but Lana could see he was not telling the whole truth... which Chloe could see when Oliver asked for her help on information about Winslow Schott. Schott went to see Oliver trying to kill him with a toy bomb, but Oliver managed to get free and forced the Toyman to tell him where Lex is. Oliver took the toy bomb and used it to blow up Lex's mobile truck that he was in, killing him. Chloe discovered that Oliver was behind the bomb and when confronted Oliver said that there was no difference between what he did and what Chloe did to Sebastian Kane (A metahuman with the ability to absorb memory by touch who had deduced Superman's identity, Chloe- her intellect temporarily enhanced by Brainiac- deliberately touched Kane, the scale of her knowledge leaving him catatonic). Chloe reluctantly agreed to keep Oliver's involvement in the murder a secret, as they both want to keep Clark safe.
In "Doomsday", Oliver and the Justice League capture Davis Bloome in order to force Clark to kill him, but Chloe separates Davis from his Doomsday persona with black kryptonite, and Doomsday escapes, badly injuring all of them. Clark defeats Doomsday by burying him a mile underground. The group subsequently leaves Metropolis, feeling responsible for the death of Jimmy Olsen, who was killed when Doomsday escaped.
After the events of "Doomsday", Oliver's life begins to fall apart, leading to an argument with Clark in "Rabid". When Clark departs for the Watchtower, he leaves Lois in Oliver's care, leaving them in an elevator to protect them from the zombified citizens. Seeing his reflection, Oliver realizes just how far he has fallen, but gets distracted and lets Lois fall asleep. Awakening as a zombie, Lois attacks Oliver and escapes the elevator. When the infection is cured, Clark angrily confronts Oliver over his failure to protect Lois, and Oliver admits that Clark was right, and he now knows what he needs to do with his life. After Clark leaves, a despondent Oliver burns his Green Arrow costume, effectively giving up trying to be a superhero.
In the episode "Echo", Oliver has reached his lowest point, and Queen Industries is now on the verge of bankruptcy. Tess Mercer is able to get Oliver back to the corporate world and make a speech to raise the shareholders' morale. However, Winslow Schott again targets Oliver, seeking revenge as well as trying to get Oliver to admit his guilt in the murder of Lex Luthor. He forces him to stand on a landmine beneath the podium. However, after everyone left, a depressed Oliver stepped off the bomb, attempting suicide, only to discover that the bomb was a fake. After talking with Clark, Oliver sees the image of Lex Luthor when he looks in a mirror and is terrified of walking the same path as his enemy.
In "Roulette", Oliver is drinking and gambling heavily when a woman, Roulette, approaches him and offers him a drug. He takes it, passes out, and finds himself embroiled in a series of elaborate games. Eventually, Chloe tells Oliver that she and the Justice League set up the ruse to help convince him that he was still a hero. He agrees to become the Green Arrow again and vows to help Clark protect Metropolis. In the next episode, "Crossfire", he approaches a prostitute, Mia Dearden. Seeing much of himself in her, he offers to help train her to overcome her hatred and become a better person.
In the episode "Supergirl", after finding out Gordon Godfrey planned to tell the world who Green Arrow was, Oliver, revealed to the press that he was Green Arrow, attempting to mitigate the public backlash against superheroes being created by the Darkness by serving as their public face. During the season, he is briefly corrupted by Darkseid but resists his influence long enough for Clark to cure him just as he is about to use gold kryptonite on Clark to take away his powers. Later, he marries Chloe Sullivan and in the series finale, it is hinted that they had a child together a few years after the events of the series finale (titled "Finale"), which is the eighth issue of the show's comic book continuation Smallville Season Eleven written by executive story editor Bryan Q. Miller, confirms that the child is Oliver's son as Chloe announces her pregnancy to him. He and Chloe later named their newborn son "Jonathan," after Clark's late-adoptive father. There are references from other characters that Oliver occasionally flirted with Black Canary, but presumably their relationship never developed into romance.
Oliver's story continues in the show's comic book continuation, as he attempts to maintain his life as a superhero, husband, businessman, and father. He also joins the D.E.O. as its freelance agent under the codename "Arrow."
Arrowverse
On January 18, 2012, The CW green-lit a pilot for a proposed Green Arrow series with Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Andrew Kreisberg producing. The series, Arrow, offers a fresh take on the character, and initially does not feature superpowers, as a way to take a realistic look at the characters in this universe. In addition to being the hero Green Arrow the series also features flashbacks to Oliver's time on the island and the events that shaped him into the hero in the present. Stephen Amell portrays Oliver Queen in the series. It premiered in North America on October 10, 2012, and was picked up for a full season later that month. On February 11, 2013, Arrow was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 9, 2013. On February 13, 2014, The CW renewed the series for a third season, which premiered on October 8, 2014. On January 11, 2015, Arrow was renewed for a 23-episode fourth season, which has premiered on October 7, 2015. On March 12, 2016, Arrow was renewed for a fifth season, with a release date of October 5, 2016.
Oliver Queen has made multiple appearances in the Arrow spin-offs The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow and one episode of Supergirl with Stephen Amell reprising the role. Those series are set in a shared universe called the Arrowverse.
Film
Animated
Justice League: New Frontier
Green Arrow also appears in Justice League: New Frontier, resembling his Golden Age version.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
An alternate universe version of Green Arrow named "Scarlet Archer" appears in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths voiced by Jim Meskimen. He was first seen providing security at a shipment being made by Johnny Quick, with alternate versions of Black Canary and Lobo. He fires arrows at Flash but is defeated by Martian Manhunter. He again appears attempting to kill an alternate Rose Wilson for speaking out against the Crime Syndicate. Martian Manhunter catches his arrow and proceeds to stop him by scaring him to the point of falling off the building he was perched on. He is later arrested and his arrest is brought up at a meeting about how even regular law enforcement is starting to show some backbone.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Oliver Queen appears in the second part of the animated adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, voiced by Robin Atkin Downes.
Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League
Green Arrow appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League, voiced by Phil Morris.
Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts
Green Arrow appears in Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts, voiced by Chris Diamantopoulos.
Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem
Green Arrow appears in Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem, voiced again by Chris Diamantopoulos.
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants
Green Arrow appears in Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants, voiced again by Chris Diamantopoulos.
The Lego Batman Movie
Green Arrow makes an appearance in The Lego Batman Movie where he is seen with the Justice League.
Live-action
David S. Goyer and Justin Marks penned a script for a film starring Green Arrow originally called Super Max. On June 5, 2008, the film was retitled Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max. The reported storyline stated that the hero, who was framed for a crime he did not commit, must escape a high security prison filled with A-, B-, and C-list villains and rogue superheroes.
In an interview with MTV in 2008, Marks said:
It's a very, very awesome prison. I majored in architecture in college, and design is how I actually started in. For Super Max, designing that prison, it had to be the kind of thing that was a character in and of itself. We're in a world where instead of just trying to contain a guy who's really big, you're trying to contain a guy who canâ€"in the case of Icicleâ€"who can freeze things. What kind of a cell would a guy like that need in order to have his powers neutralized? So to escape from Super Max they have got to go through the most elaborate heist we've ever seen, involving superpowers. Because the prison itself kind of has superpowers!
Marks added that Black Canary would not be making an appearance in the film, and that it would include cameos from the Riddler, Lex Luthor, and the Joker.
The second-season finale episode of Arrow included a reference to Super Max, with the name being used for the underground prison where the villain Deathstroke is held.
Stephen Amell, who portrays the character on Arrow, stated in July 2013 that he was interested in portraying the character in the Justice League film. However, DC has consistently denied any continuity between the cinematic universe and the TV universe, which began with Arrow. It is unknown if the film will be a part of the DC Extended Universe.
Video games
- Justice League Task Force
- Justice League Heroes (voiced by - Ralph Garman)
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold â€" The Videogame (voiced by - James Arnold Taylor)
- DC Universe Online (voiced by - David Jennison)
- Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (portable versions)
- Infinite Crisis (Alan Tudyk reprising the role)
- Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (Stephen Amell reprising the role)
- Batman: Arkham Knight (mentioned)
- Lego Dimensions (limited release, Chris Hardwick reprising the role)
- DC Legends (iOS & Google Play game)
Injustice
- Green Arrow appears as a playable character in the Injustice fighting games with Alan Tudyk reprising the role from Young Justice. Stephen Amell also voices the character if he's wearing the downloadable Arrow skin.
- In Injustice: Gods Among Us, Green Arrow is one of the Justice League members taken from the primary universe into an alternate world where Superman and his Regime rule over the planet. They are recruited by that world's Batman into the fight against the tyrannical Superman, whom Oliver discovers has killed his counterpart in this universe. In his playable chapter, he assists Batman and the League in infiltrating the Batcave to retrieve a chunk of kryptonite by defeating the Regime versions Solomon Grundy, Killer Frost, Wonder Woman, and Black Adam. Later he helps this world's Batman in rescuing the primary Batman from Stryker's Island, but is forced to battle the alternate Batman as he gets possessed by Raven. Later, he fights the Regime Flash when the latter finds the Insurgency base to switch sides. After the Insurgency defeats the Regime with the assistance of the primary Superman, he wishes the Regime Flash the best of luck due to the Flash's assistance in the end. In his single player ending, Oliver visits the alternate Star City and finds an arrow-shaped memorial in the center-piece in the deceased Green Arrow's honor. He also mentors this universe's Roy Harper into becoming the city's new protector, Red Arrow.
- The Green Arrow in Injustice 2 is from an alternate universe Doctor Fate took Black Canary to after she was defeated by Superman and near death. Just as Dinah lost her Oliver, this Oliver lost his version of Dinah, so Fate left her and her son Connor in this world for the two to find happiness. Five years later, they received news from Doctor Fate of Superman's defeat at the hands of his prime-Earth counterpart. When Dinah is brought home by Doctor Fate to help Batman in restoring Earth, the alternate Oliver joins in to honor his late-counterpart. In the story mode, the couple are sent with Harley Quinn to battle Gorilla Grodd's Society. During their time in Gorilla City, Fate warns them of a bigger threat coming to Earth and offers to take them back to Oliver's home world, but they refuse and defeat him in a fight. After the two defeat Gorilla Grodd, they are abducted by the threat Fate was talking about, Brainiac. They are later brainwashed by Grodd into battling Black Adam and Aquaman in Kahndaq, but are freed after Aquaman kills the Gorilla tyrant. In his single player ending, Oliver returns to his universe to warn his planet about Brainiac, but arrives in the middle of Brainiac's assault. Thankfully, Brainiac was defeated by a multiverse Justice League consisting of variations of Earth-23 Superman, Red Son Batman, and Flashpoint Wonder Woman. He joins them as they go to other universes to combat the multiple versions of Brainiac.
See also
- Speedy in other media
References
